Roof rail construction



July 1, 1941. c. H. WIDMAN 2,247, 35?

ROOF RAIL CONSTRUCTION Filed March '7, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.CHARLES H. \\/lD/ \AN ATTORNEYfi July 1, 1941. c. H. WIDMAN ROOF RAILCONSTRUCTION Filed March 7, 1223s 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORN 5. 4 I

M. WIDMAN I 2,247,457

ROOF RAIL CONSTRUCTION I Filed March 7, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I INVENTORCHARLES H. \X/ID/AAN BYv I AfTOR Y5.

M 1, 1941. C.'H. WIDMAN 2,247,457

ROOF RAIL CONSTRUCTION F iled March '7, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORCHARLES H. WIDMAN A TTOR 5.

Patented July 1, 194 1 AZMAE? poor nan. CONSTRUCTION Charles H. Widman,Detroit, Mich, assignor to The Murray Corporation of America, Detroit,Mich, a corporation of Delaware Application March '7, 1938, Serial No.194,252

1 Claim.

My invention relates to vehicle bodies, and particularly to bracingmeans for bodies employed at the roof edges and about the body openingsto form a frame structure for strengthening the body.

Various methods have been employed for forming panels to desired shapesand joining the panels together by welding, flanging, or by other meansto construct a unit body. Dies were utilized for forming the sheets ofmetal to the desired shape, for trimming the edges of the metal and forreversely bending the edges around the window and door openings. Thedies for producing the reverse bending were always very expensive andoftentimes such reverse bending weakened the metal, in some cases tosuch a degree that the panels became useless.

In practicing my present invention, I form the panels in a conventionalmanner and so shape adjacent panels that the mating edges lie face toface with each other in a position to be joined in a simple manner suchas by spot welding. About the window openings the joined flanges extendinwardly of the opening in a position to receive a resilient finishstrip in which the glass is mounted. This strip not only forms a supportfor the glass, but constitutes a molding for covering the flange and forfinishing the material about the opening.

The top panel is preferably flanged to provide a trough at the marginaledge, which rests within a trough-like projection on the side panel andlikewise may be joined by spot welding. The trough may. extend entirelyaround the rear quarter edge of the roof panel to conduct water to therear portion thereof. A sill joins the roof panel with the side panelforming a box section structure and a bracing for the roof panel. Thisarrangement not only adds material strength to the roof structure and tothe body in general, but also eliminates any vibration or drumming whichwould otherwise occur to the large unitary panel which forms the top ofthe body.

The roof rail joins with the body side panels about the window openingand is extended at the door openings to join directly with theroofpanel. The rail at the door opening is preferably provided with aninwardly presented channel in which the inner trim material may besecured by a resilient element which constitutes an inner seal for thedoor opening. A channel is also provided at the outer marginal door jambedge for retaining'a sealing element at the outer edge of the door. Theroof rail, with the channels and sealing elements, extend forwardly andare curved downwardly at the pillar to form a box section structuretherewith. A header reinforcing element joins the side rails and thefront edge of the roof panel at the windshield opening and provides areinforcement for the header panel of the body. The panel and elementare flanged and joined to provide the projecting flange for receivingthe resilient strip provided about the windshield opening. A similarreinforcing element is provided about the side and rear quarter windowopenings to form the projecting flanges defining the opening.

Accordingly, the main objects of my invention are: to provide a vehiclebody comprising a plurality of panels having projecting flanges by whichthey are joined together to form a unit construction; to provide a bodymade of a plurality of panels with bracing elements having projectingflanges which join with the side and top panels to form box sectionstructure therewith; to provide a top rail for a Vehicle body whichextends along the top of the body and downwardly along the pillarsthereof, and which joins with a header brace extending laterally of thebody, substantially all of which forms a box section structure with theroof and pillar; to provide a top rail for a vehicle body which is ofangular section and which is joined to the roof panel at the side andtop to form a box section therewith; to provide a roof rail for avehicle body having an inner and outer channel therein for receiving andsupporting elements for sealing the door at the interior and exterior ofthe body; to provide a roof panel for a body having a drip channel atthe peripheral edge thereof which nests within a similar channelprovided in the roof rail of the body; to provide roof rails at thesides of the body which extend upwardly and are welded or otherwisesecured to the top of the roof panel as well as the outer edge thereof;to provide a reinforcing element about the rear windows of the bodywhich extend inwardly of the body and then outwardly to join with theroof panel to provide a box section structure about the window opening;and in general, to form a body with a top and side panels joined byprojecting flanges and braced by reinforcing elements which form boxsection structures with the sides, roof and pillar elements to provide asimplified construction which has increased strength and all of which iseconomical of manufacture.

Other objects and features of novelty of my invention will :be eitherspecifically pointed out or will become apparent when referring, for abetter understanding of my invention, to the following description,taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a view in elevation of a vehicle body embodying features ofmy invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged broken sectional view of the front top corner ofthe vehicle body illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken sectional view of the upper rear corner ofthe vehicle body illustratedin Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a broken view of structure, similar to that illustrated inFig. 3, showing a modified form of my invention;

Fig. 5 is a broken View of structure, similar to that illustrated inFig. 4, showing a further form which my invention may assume;

Fig. 6 is a view of structure, similar to that illustrated in Fig. 3,showing another form which my invention may assume;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged broken view of the junction of the panel elementsillustrated in Fig. 6; and,

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, takenon the line 88 thereof.

The body illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises in general, a roof panel Iii, aside panel H, a rear panel 2, a cowl panel l3, and pillars [4. A frontdoor l5 and a rear door 16 are hinged to the body at each side and aside quarter window I! is provided within the side panels l l.

In Fig. 2, I have illustrated the roof panel id as being provided with adrip channel 58 at the side peripheral edges which mate with a roof rail[9 at the door openings and with the side panels ll rearwardly thereof.The roof rail 59 at the outer edge is provided with an upwardlypresented channel 2! in which the drip channel 18 of the roof is nestedand secured in fixed. relation by welding or other means. The side panel.H is provided with a ledge 22 on which the channel l8 of the roof reststo be secured thereto by welding or other means. At this point, the roofrail i9 is flanged downwardly at 23 to join with a. flange 2 definingthe opening of the side quarter window H.

The flanges 2 3 and 2d are spot welded or otherwise secured together andthe projecting wall thereof is finished by a flexible trim element 25.The trim element 25 is preferably made of rubher and trims the metaldefining the window opening and is retained in position through theprojection of the flanges 2S and 24 in a slot 21 in the element. Anadditional slot 28 is provided in the finish element 25 for receiving awindow glass 29 which is retained in sealed relation within the opening.The roof trim material 3! may be supported in the usual manner bylisting strips, the side edges being pasted or otherwise secured to theroof rail l9.

At the door opening, the rail i9 embodies a web or jarnb portion 32which is extended upwardly at 33 at the outside of the body and thenbent to form the channel 21 heretofore referred to. A downwardlypresented channel 3 1 is thereby provided in which a sealing strip 35 isclamped, adhered to, or otherwise secured therein. On the inner side ofthe web 35 the rail is bent upwardly. and reversely bent upon itself and.further formed to provide the channel element 36 having the openingthereof presented inwardly of the body. The rail extends upwardly at 31and flanges outwardly at 38, the latter flange engaging the roof panell0, and is welded or otherwise secured thereto. It is to be understoodthat the rail may be formed from a unit strip of material, or may bemade in a number of sections which are secured together.

The top cloth 31 is drawn within the channel 36 and may be retainedtherein by the inner rubber sealing element 39 which is forced withinthe channel. The element 39 has a downwardly extending hollow lipportion 4! which forms an inner seal for the frame 42 of the door IS.The rail 19, as above described, extends forwardly to the top corner 43of the body, and then continues downwardly along the pillar 44 to bejoined therewith by the engagement of mating flanges as above described.The drip channel 18 follows the contour of the corner and continuesdownwardly for a portion of the length of the pillar. Thereafter, asillustrated in Fig. 8, the roof rail and pillar are provided withoutwardly and inwardly directed flanges respectively, which engage eachother and are welded together. The sealing strips 35 and 39 arecontinued down along the pillar and seal the door along the top andfront jamb face in the conventional manner.

A header reinforcing element 45 has a downwardly presented flange 46which mates with a flange 41 on the front edge of the roof panel II],which defines the marginal edge of the windshield opening. The flangesare secured together by spot welding or other means, and form a ledgefor receiving a windshield supported finish strip 88, similar to thestrip 25 above described with relation to th quarter Window H. A flange49 may be provided on the opposite end of the reinforcihg header element35 to provide further strength thereto. The element extends entirelyacross the front end of the panel and is joined to the roof rail l9provided at each side thereof. It is to be understood that the elementmay be projected and joined to the top portion of the roof panel asillustrated relative to the rail [9.

In Fig. 3, the channel i3 is illustrated as extending around theterminal edge of the top panel Hi about the rear quarter window 5!provided in the panel. The side panels ll may be a unit elementextending across the rear portion 52 of the vehicle, or the rear deckportion 52 may be a separate panel joined to the two side panels ll.Either are conventional constructions, and it is to be understood that.one or a plurality of panels may therefore, be employed to form thelower sides and rear portion of the body. The sides of the body, aspointed out above, continue the extending ledges 22 and a similar ledgeis provided in the rear deck portion 52 upon which the rear terminaledge [8 of the roof panel l0 rests and is secured by welding or othermeans.

It is to be understood that a reinforcing panel element 53 is providedon theinner side of the body adjacent to the side panels H, asillustrated in Fig. 3. Such a panel 53 extends about the quarter windowopening IT and joins with the roof rail it at the side top edges of thewindow opening. The panel 53 has a flange 54 which mates with the flange24 on the side panel H to form a box section structure therewith and aresulting flange about the opening for receiving the trim molding 25.The panel 53 extends downwardly and joins with the wall 55 of the wheelhousing at the side of the body. Forwardly and rearwar-dly of thehousing the panel extends downwardly to join the panel H and form a sillportion therewith. The panel 53 may extend across the rear deck portionor a rear inner panel 56 may be employed to join with the 56 may extendentirely around the window opening, having theupper portion thereofjoined with the roof, or a separate element 62 may be provided having aflange 63 joined to the flange 51 at the top of the window opening andalso a flange 64 which engages and is secured to the roof panel I 0.This upper portion may be joined to the panel 56 and/or joined to therear terminal ends of the roof rails Hi.

In this manner, box section structures formed with the exterior panelsalong the side of the body and at the top quarters, all of which areinterconnected to form a unitary structure. The joinder of the innerstructure in this manner with each other and with the exterior side androof panel inwardly of the edges thereof produces a very lightconstruction which is eX- tremely rigid and which eliminates vibrationin the unitary top panel. The mating flanges are readily welded and atthe window openings provide a ledge for receiving and supporting thewindow glass and the trim and retaining element thereof.

In Figs. 4 and 5, I have shown further forms of rear quarterconstructions, including bracing means therefor which may be substitutedfor that employed in the body illustrated in Fig. 3. In Fig. i, thelower rear deck 66 is flanged inwardly at 6'5 to provide a ledge uponwhich the channel 48 at the terminal end of the roof panel rests and towhich it is secured by welding or other means. The top element 68 whichmay be a portion of the inner panel 56 or may be a separate element,similar to the element 62 with the exception that the upwardly extendingflange 69 thereof terminates short of the roof panel and does not form abox section structure therewith. The element 68, however, is joinedpreferably at its lateral edges to the roof rails I9 to form a unitarystructure therewith.

In Fig. 5, the channel element l3 terminates at H at the side of thebody, the terminal edge of the roof [3 rearwardly thereof being flangeddownwardly at E2 to extend over the ledge 61 as clearly illustrated.Otherwise the constru tion is similar to that illustrated in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 6, I have shown a further form of con-- struction wherein therear portion of the body contains a compartment 75 having a deck doorif; mounted thereon in the conventional manner. In construction the rearterminal edge of the roof panel I9 is flanged downwardly at T7 inwardlyof the side terminal end '58 of the channel IS. The side panel 19 isprojected inwardly at 8! and flanged upwardly at 82 to form a ledge forreceiving the channel edge it of the roof panel. The side panel beyondthe terminal edge 78 of the roof panel projects downwardly at 83 to bedisposed in continuation of the flange T7 at the terminal edge of theroof panel Hi. A trough 34 extends around the marginal edge of theopening defining the compartment it to receive a flange 85 providedabout the edge of the deck door '16. The trough and deck doorconstruction follows the conventional form and will not be describedfurther. It is to be understood that suitable bracing elements areprovided about the rear and side quarter windows, in the manner asclearly specified hereinabove relative to structure illustrated in Figs1 to 5 inclusive.

While I have described and illustrated several embodiments of myinvention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variouschanges, omissions, additions and substitutions may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, as setforth in the accompanying claim.

What I claim is:

In a vehicle body, the combination with a roof panel having a. channelat the side edge thereof which extends downwardly and terminates nearthe rear deck opening, side panels engaging said trough and supportingsaid roof panel, the rear end of the roof panel and the side panelsbeyond the end of said trough being flanged downwardly, and a troughelement defining the deck opening into which the flanges at the rear ofthe roof and side panels project.

CHARLES H. WIDMAN.

